Ahead of the meeting of the Heads of State and Government during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September, Malta joined another 14 countries in a statement confirming their intention to recognise the State of Palestine.
In this joint statement, Andorra, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia and Spain condemned the 7th of October 2023 terrorist attacks, as they demanded the immediate release of all hostages of Hamas, and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as well as unhindered humanitarian access.
Malta subscribed to this statement during the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, which convened this week, at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The 15 countries expressed their willingness or positive consideration in relation to the recognition of the State of Palestine. They encouraged other countries to establish normal relations with Israel, and to affirm their intention to enter a regional security architecture alongside the state of Israel and the State of Palestine.
They also expressed “grave concern over the high number of civilian casualties and humanitarian situation in Gaza and emphasize the essential role of the United Nations and its agencies in facilitating humanitarian assistance.”
Malta and the other countries also declared their unwavering commitment to the Two-State solution, where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, would live side by side in peace within secure and recognised borders, consistent with international law and the respective UN resolutions. In this regard, they emphasised the need to unify the Gaza Strip with the West Bank, under the Palestinian Authority.
The statement also welcomed the commitments made by the President of the Palestinian Authority last month, when he condemned the 7th of October 2023 terrorist attacks, called for the release of hostages and the disarmament of Hamas, and expressed his commitment to schooling reforms and to calling elections within a year, fostering generational renewal, while accepting the principle of a demilitarised Palestinian State.
The Maltese delegation at the UN Conference on the Two-State Solution in New York was led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Christopher Cutajar.
As he delivered Malta’s statement during the conference, Cutajar reiterated Malta’s intention to recognise the State of Palestine during the UN General Assembly in September.
Photo: MFT
